RECENT ASSIGNMENT

Computer Networks: Questions
Due Date: April 22, 2013
1) Pick up one protocol that you are familiar with and write a brief overview using your own words.
2) You may have obtained a basic idea on the protocol layers provided by current Internet. What are the reasons that we adopt a layered architecture? Do you think there are better approaches?
3) The design principles shown here are at the heart of Internet protocols and can be applied to many other layers and other network applications. From Section Principles of Reliable Data Transfer of the textbook, please pick up one principle for reliable data transfer and comment on it. Please note that this is the only networking textbook (as far as I know) that uses finite state automata (FSA) to describe these principles. One advantage of this approach is that it clearly shows some design principles that are independent from any specific implementations, such as TCP and UDP. Later you may notice some of these principles are also used for other protocols.
4) Introduces several protocols (e.g., IPv4, IPv6, ICMP, RIP, BGP, etc) at the network layer. Please pick up one of them and comment on it.
5) One topic of this chapter is about link layer protocols such as CSMA/CD and (slotted) Aloha. Based on your understandings, what are the similarities and differences provided by these protocols compared to those by the transport layer such as TCP or UDP? The problem is probably too big – you can pick up one or several aspects that you are interested in and comment on them.
6) I believe most of you had experiences with wireless devices (e.g., wireless LAN/WAN, cell phones, and/or bluetooth devices) that use techniques discussed in this chapter. Share your experiences with these devices. Do you think that you had a better understanding on these devices based on what you learned from this chapter?
7) Through the course we have learned that the current Internet is not based on a reliable model and most applications cannot provide guaranteed services. How can we provide better services (with certain levels of QoS) for multimedia applications based on the unreliable model? What are the related design principles for multimedia networking protocols?